Lifting the LidInspirational HR or what?
Graham White
This week we hand over the reigns of the HR Business Network blog to Graham White, Director of HR for Westminster Council, who poses the question: ‘How do you inspire apprentices who are about to launch into a career in HR?”
Inspirational HR or what?
I recently had the privilege to speak to two new HR apprentices joining my team. The challenge for me was: “How does this boring old HR guy inspire two energetic apprentices launching into their new HR careers?”
I wanted to assure them that the HR work ethic is real – it is more than just a devious ruse promoted enthusiastically by the evil HR director to exploit pathetic workaholics.
But what if I’m wrong and all we have become in HR is a bunch of storm chasers, forever working hard hoping one day to receive recognition. The reality being that managers see a visit to HR as similar to their annual flu jab; a painful event but the alternative has the potential to be worse.
I nearly fell into the trap of saying ‘hard work never killed anyone’ until I recalled the now infamous 2002 BMJ study that confirmed employees with stressful jobs are twice as likely to die from heart disease.
I guess the answer lies in the now famous George Carlin quote when he said “If work is so terrific, how come they have to pay you to do it?”.
I finally resolved to tell my new colleagues that the secret to having a satisfying HR career is much simpler than it sounds. True job satisfaction felt by HR professionals is not short term and dependent on the occasional management accolade. It comes from the fact we have the opportunity in our jobs to extol the true work virtues of integrity, tenacity and pride, which makes any job thrilling.
Mind you, by working faithfully eight hours a day for many years, I have eventually got to be an HR Director working twelve hours a day…
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Graham is the Director of HR for Westminster City Council, which is the local authority serving the heart of London. Prior to Joining Westminster Graham was Head of HR at Surrey County Council where he most notably undertook a fundamental review of HR service that reduced the HR team from 400 to 40 and took nine million out of the budget. Graham is openly anti ‘the business partner’ model and regularly speaks on the benefits of being in a business not just partnering it.
His breadth of experience in HR covers both the public and private sectors including manufacturing, service, banking, policing and both central and local government.
Read his personal blog at www.grahamwhitehr.blogspot.com
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